COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would ban transgender students from using the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity, sending the bill to Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
The Republican-backed bill would apply to K-12 public schools and higher education institutions. The bill would provide “dedicated” bathrooms, locker rooms, and accommodations for boys and girls based on their assigned sex at or near birth, both in school buildings and in facilities used for school-sponsored events. Schools are required to make individual designations.
The law does not apply to school staff, emergency situations, and those assisting young children and people with disabilities, and schools can continue to provide single- and family-use toilet facilities.
State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, said the bill is “about safety and security.”
The ACLU of Ohio called on the governor not to sign the bill, accusing it of violating the privacy rights and making LGBTQ+ Ohioans less safe.
“SB 104, if allowed to take effect, will create a dangerous environment for transgender and gender nonconforming people of all ages,” Jocelyn Rosnick, the group's policy director, said in a statement. “This bill ignores the critical reality that transgender people experience higher rates of sexual assault and sexual assault than non-transgender people, especially while using public restrooms.”
The Center for Christian Virtue praised lawmakers for passing the bill and called on DeWine to sign it. The governor said he intends to sign the bill, but will first conduct a legal review.
“Today is a huge victory for Ohio's children and families,” CCV Policy Director David Mahan said in a statement. “SB104 is common sense legislation that ensures that only women, and not men who claim to be women, enter young women's private spaces.”
At least 11 states have adopted laws banning transgender girls and women from girls' and girls' restrooms in public schools and, in some cases, other government facilities.
This law is in effect in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah. In Idaho, a judge has issued a stay of execution.
Ohio House Republicans attached the bill to their proposal for a college credit program for high school students in Ohio before passing it in June, much to the chagrin of one Democratic state senator who signed on as a co-sponsor. Ta.
Sen. Katherine Ingram of Cincinnati said she would remove her name from the bill.
Senate Democratic Leader Nikki Antonio said she couldn't believe Republican leaders prioritized the bill on their first day back after the November election.
“There should be no exceptions to freedom and justice for all, but we are here telling our children that there are people who are less than that,” she said. “This bill isn't about bathrooms. It's about demonizing people who are different, and our children are watching and hearing fear-mongering.”
